Gateshead

December 2019

You said: Residents would like more involvement with the wider community.

We did: We invited a primary school choir to spread Christmas cheer at this Independent Living scheme. Residents thoroughly enjoyed singing along and getting into the festive spirit. This was accompanied by a traditional Christmas dinner.

July 2020

You said: Residents wanted a more inviting and enjoyable outdoor space.

We did: Through resident engagement sessions we were able to understand our residents' wants and wishes and created a plan with the residents' feedback at the heart of the project. See the transformation here.

August 2020

You said: In 2020, we took the decision to close communal lounges in all schemes across the country. The aim was to minimise contact between residents and to reduce the risk of coronavirus spreading. As the country began to emerge from lockdown, some residents wanted the communal lounges to reopen.

We did: We consulted with residents to determine whether they would be in favour of reopening the communal lounge and what safety measures they would like to see in place if the communal lounge were to reopen.

June 2021

You said: Residents at this Independent Living scheme were concerned about the increasing cost of gritting and snow clearance, which is covered by their service charges.

We did: We explained the current specification to residents and consulted with them about proposals to help lower the costs. We asked whether they would be in favour of reducing visits from the contractor to days on which the weather was forecast to drop below 0 degrees rather than 1 degree, and whether the whole scheme needed to be gritted or just particular areas. We invited residents for other suggestions about how the specification could be tailored to help ensure that the scheme is a safe and attractive place to live, whilst keeping service charges affordable.

October 2021

You said: Residents wanted to influence the decoration of the scheme.

We did: The communal lounge at this Independent Living scheme was due for decoration. We presented residents with different moodboards indicating how the scheme could be decorated and asked them to vote on their favourites.

June 2022

You said: Residents would like more regular and frequent contact with the staff who deliver their services.

We did: We set up a weekly on-site drop-in surgery for customers to meet the Customer Partner for their area and discuss any housing, rent or repairs concerns.